A Laser to the Heart
by andromeda2187
Summary: While taking a training course for their field assessments, FitzSimmons are separated, and a mistake on Simmons' part leads to an awkward situation. Two-shot (Rated K to be safe)
1. Chapter 1

Jemma woke to her alarm blaring and got out of bed instantly. It was times like these where being a morning person came in handy.

Now, If only that particular trait could help her get Fitz up.

After brushing her hair and putting on her clothes for the day, she set to work getting, Leopold "Sleepyhead" Fitz, awake and ready for their field assessments training.

She made his favorite blend of tea, carefully opened the door to his room, then walked over and gently shook his shoulder. "Fitz. Fitz! Wake up, training starts today!" The engineer grumbled in response. "I still don't understand why we're taking this stupid training course. I'm a scientist, not James bond!"

She rolled her eyes. "We've been over this, Fitz. We have to take our field assessments, it's S.H.I.E.L.D. Regulation and I want to be prepared. Who knows? It might come in handy in the future." Simmons sighed in exasperation when Fitz simply slide further under the covers. "I made you tea." At this Fitz perked up. "Is it-"

"Orange spice with a little honey, yes." Fitz took the cup from her and inhaled the sweet aroma before taking a long sip. "Have I mentioned you're the most amazing partner on the planet?"

She smiled. "You gave me a mug last Christmas to remind me. It's in the kitchen. Now get up, get dressed and be ready for breakfast in fifteen minutes. We should have just enough time for a quick meal before the first lesson."

Fitz sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Alright, see you in ten."

* * *

"Line up!" The middle-aged, officer barked. "I'm Agent Ripley, and today we'll be playing a simple game of 'capture the flag'. Now your suits are covered with tiny sensors that when hit with a laser from your gun will cause the fabric to tighten and render that part of you useless, unless you receive a fatal hit, in that case it's game over. you'll leave the arena by the nearest exit. For those of you who can't figure out where that is, it's the door with the giant, red, exit sign above it."

He paused a few moments while the class stifled their laughter. "You'll be split into two teams, red and blue. Two of you have been chosen as team captains, please step forward and claim your team mates."

The captains were two boys, Cadets Anson who was in charge of the blue team and Horne who was assigned red. They flipped a coin to determine who went first, then started calling the names of the people they wanted on their side. Horne started and picked the most obvious choice, Cadet Mason. He was graduating from Operations a year early and with honors, not to mention he was built like a monster truck and measured two meters, (6' 5" feet) so he was definitely someone you'd like watching your back. After a few minutes, everyone was chosen except Fitzsimmons. They weren't surprised. Being the shortest of the group with little physical strength and no past experience in field work, they didn't look like they had much to offer. But they were smart and Jemma was a firm believer in brains over brawn. _'We can win this.'_ she thought. _'We just have to outsmart them and- oh dear,'_ Her heart pounded as she suddenly realized that, being the last two chosen they would have to be on separate teams!

"Fitz!" Horne called out. They turned to each other; sadness evident in their eyes. "Good luck." He whispered to her.

"You don't believe in luck."

Yeah, but I've got Horne and Mason on my side. So you're probably gonna need it." He teased.

Simmons whacked his shoulder. "Oh, we'll see about that. My team is gonna take you down." She gave a mock glare, crossing her arms.

"Wanna bet?" Fitz shot back.

Simmons eyes lit up and Fitz immediately regretted challenging her. (She may seem sweet, But she could be crazy competitive when it came down to it.)"Alright. If you lose, you have to clean up my lab space for a week."

Fitz wrinkled his nose. Clean up all those gross, drippy, bio samples? Ugh! however if He won...

"Deal. but if you lose you have to make me your prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella sandwiches any time I want for a month." Jemma thought about it for a moment. "Deal. Who ever survives the longest wins. If we both make it to the end then victory goes to whoever is on the winning team" She held her hand out and they shook on it.

Fitz then joined Horne and his other team mates while Simmons walked over to Anson's side. Agent Ripley stood in front of them. "Now, the Red team will enter the training zone by the door on your right. Blue team you'll take the door to the left. By the way, you've only got twenty minutes to capture the opposite team's flag. On your marks. Get set. GO!"

* * *

Fitz ducked for cover as Cadet Tierney opened fire at him and Mason. _'_ _This is ridiculous!'_ Fitz thought, listening to the whoops and hollers of Tierney and the sound effects from his gun as he fired laser beams repeatedly down the corridor. _'_ _I wonder if Jemma's faring any better? She probably is. Simmons always did catch onto things faster than me. Why did I make that stupid bet?! There is no way I'm winning against her!'_

Fitz was snapped out of his thoughts by Cadet Mason who leaped out from behind the canisters where they were hiding and in one shot blasted Tierney in the chest. "Aw, come on Mason!" Tierney whined before stomping off through the exit. "Thanks." Fitz said, breathless from the physical exertion. "Don't worry about it."

Mason lifted his gun and started pressing forward, Fitz following close behind.

After a sharp turn left their path split in a Y form. "I'll take the left. You continue on the right." Mason's gruff voice echoed slightly in the empty space. "Right, O-okay." clinging close to the wall, Fitz glanced nervously behind him as he shuffled through the dark hallway.

Later, he would see this as his mistake since when he turned around he came face to face with Simmons.

* * *

 _five minutes before..._

Jemma was perfectly miserable. They all treated her like a tag along as if she had no value to the team. Absolutely no one took her seriously. Of course she didn't really blame them. There was a reason she was chosen last after all. Fitzsimmons were the only scientists in their group and therefore they were the least prepared for the physical toll and stress Field work training presented. Fitz did however, have an advantage over her. Not only was he physically stronger than her but he also often had to test the weapons he created so he had gotten fairly good at shooting accurately. _'_ _Oh why did I make that bet?! I can't possibly win against him!'_ Jemma thought despairingly. She was moving cautiously through a hallway gun up and ready (And not at all shaking. Thank you very much) When someone ran in front of her. "Woo Hoo! Alright!" It was Tierney. _what a complete and utter moron._ thought Jemma, sighing as she continued her trek. She upped her speed at the laser sound effects echoing through the space around her. She was just about to round the corner when she heard Tierney exclaim. "Aw, come on Mason!" Jemma slowed. Mason! As in Cadet 'Perfect-record-and-so-well-formed-and-symmetrical-and-will- have-no-difficulty-shooting-you-on-the-first-try' Mason! Oh dear. Simmons could already feel the carpal tunnel she would have from making Fitz all the sandwiches he'll request. Perhaps she could run and fetch a team mate to help her? No. Not only would her footsteps alert him to her presence, but by the time she was halfway down the hall, He would catch up to her and shoot her in the back. She looked around. There was nowhere to hide. So she couldn't run, she couldn't hide, that left one option: she would have to fight. If she stayed quiet maybe she would surprise him, though that was doubtful. But if she could distract him long enough to get a shot in... But what would she do? It couldn't be anything violent since that's what he would expect. Perhaps she could do something completely unexpected to try and catch him off guard like burst into song or faint, though she wasn't fond of either of those options. She would have to do something unorthodox: something that wouldn't make a lot of noise, that would definitely shock him enough for her to gain the advantage.

Just as Jemma thought this, she heard him approach and decided to just do the first thing that came to mind.

Steeling her nerves, she took a deep breath, put her finger on the trigger and once she heard him closing in she jumped out from behind the corner and before she could realize that this was not Cadet Mason, but was in fact her scared and now extremely confused best friend, she pushed him back against the wall and firmly pressed her lips on his.

* * *

 _'Simmons is kissing me. Simmons is kissing me. Why is Simmons kissing me?I-I mean I'm not complaining, definitely not, but SIMMONS IS KISSING ME!'_ Fitz's mind screamed.

After the initial shock wore down, however, he found the kiss to be quite enjoyable and even lightly kissed her back for a brief moment before she pulled away. Their eyes met and even if she had spoken Fitz doubted he would've heard her over the blood pounding in his ears. Her eyes were full of fear and her cheeks were pink and getting redder by the second. Fitz thought he should probably say something now, but before he could decide what, a laser blast echoed off the walls and Simmons promptly ran off. It took him a minute to figure out that Simmons had shot him and he was now 'dead'. He continued to stare at the place she disappeared for a few more moments before quietly and pensively making his way to the exit.

His mind continuously chanting. _'_ _She kissed me. She kissed me. She kissed me.'_

* * *

 **A/N:** This was inspired by a tumblr post by halleydoedog: _Take me laser tagging and then push me in a corner and kiss me. Then shoot me and walk away._


	2. Chapter 2

She kissed him... She kissed him! How? How could she let this happen? What on this earth could have possessed her to think kissing whoever was around the corner was a good idea?! And to make matters worse: she shot him, then ran away like a coward.  
What must he be thinking right now? She'll never be able to look him in the eyes again. Ever. Will this destroy their friendship? Was she going to lose him for good? Simmons heart felt like it was being twisted at the mere thought. Maybe Fitz wouldn't mention it? Then things could go back to the way they've always been. They'll work in the lab side by side, and come home to their flat at the end of the day and watch Doctor Who or maybe have a Harry Potter marathon, And she was definitely going to make him his favorite sandwich every day this month after the mess she's made.  
Jemma sighed. "I'll just have to wait and see." she mumbled to herself.

* * *

Things were going... okay. After the training session had ended, Agent Ripley gathered the group around and asked about the tactics they had used, while giving suggestions on how to improve them.  
Jemma was having a hard time concentrating, however. She was too nervous to look at Fitz but she was also curious to see how he was handling it. When her curiosity finally won out, she glanced over to find him staring at her and quickly looked down as her cheeks burned even more.  
"Agent Simmons." Her head shot up as she realized Ripley had been calling her. "Apologies, Sir. What were you asking?" Ripley huffed. "Focus, Agent. The field is no place for daydreaming." Simmons nodded guiltily. "Yes, Sir."  
He returned his attention to the screen in front of him. "Your stats show you managed a few glancing blows, and one kill shot. which is better than I expected, but not good enough to pass your assessments next week. You'll have to work on that." After a confirming nod from Simmons, he continued his appraisal. "How did you succeed in shooting Agent Fitz?"  
Jemma's heart started pounding in her ears. There was no way she was going to discuss this in front of Agent Ripley and the entire class, but she also knew she was an absolutely terrible liar. "I uh... Took him by surprise." Ripley quirked an eyebrow. "How?"  
She sighed and started from the beginning. "Well, I heard Tierney's firefight with him and Mason, so when I heard footsteps coming my way, I waited quietly until he was just rounding the corner, and shot him before he could react."  
"Whoa, cold blooded!" Tierney laughed before slapping a hand on Fitz's back. "And Fitz, my man. What's up with letting her take you down so easy? Were you distracted by the cute chick pointing a gun at you?" The whole class erupted in giggles until Ripley silenced them. "Enough. Tierney, Sit down. Simmons, It's always a good idea to take advantage of your opponent when they're not expecting it, But that's not something you should count on in the field. Always be prepared for the event that the enemy knows you're there, and you should try to secure an escape route if possible. Now, moving on..."

* * *

Fitz was having the time of his life. so much so, in fact, that he didn't take any notice of Tierney's not-so-subtle innuendos, and well placed winks, nor Ripley and his pleased smirk. He felt terribly guilty for having fun at Jemma's expense, but she was just too cute with how red her face was and how she nervously picked at the sleeves of her jumper. There were very few incidents where he got to see Jemma Simmons flustered. The last time she was this embarrassed had been The Great Faraday Cup Mishap. He knew he was staring, but he was really curious to see if she could get any redder. Simmons did not disappoint. He watched her turn toward him and once their eyes met she ducked her head back down, but it was ineffective in hiding her blush. For some strange reason, watching her freak out over their quick peck made him feel less embarrassed.  
Once Agent Ripley dismissed them. Simmons squared her shoulders and walked briskly out the door with Fitz following close behind. They walked the handful of blocks back to their flat in silence though many times Simmons would turn to him almost as if to speak before seemingly changing her mind and returning her attention to the pavement.  
She was in the middle of getting out the key to their apartment before Fitz decided it was time to point out the elephant in the room. "You kissed me." Simmons dropped her keys, but instead of picking them back up, she just stood there. Her bright red complexion turning whiter than a sheet. Fitz finally took pity on her and, grabbing the keys, he opened the door and lead her inside. Five minutes later she was still pale and silent sitting on the sofa, and Fitz was starting to get concerned. "You okay, Jemma? You're not going to faint on me are you? 'Cause that would be embarrassing." He joked. Simmons looked up and gave a soft smile. "I doubt I could be more embarrassed than I am now."  
"Oh, it wasn't that bad. I mean sure you were a little out of practice but you can hardly tell, honest-"  
"Fitz!"  
Simmons look was so full of indignation that he couldn't help laughing at her, which only made her glare more. "That's not funny, Fitz! Stop laughing!"  
"I ca- I can't h-help it. Sim- Ha ha ha! You're face is too funny!"  
Simmons scowl slowly changed to a smirk. "If it was so horrible, why did you kiss me back?" The laughter ceased instantly as Fitz thought back to the corridor and his face fell when he remembered that yes for a split second before she pulled away he had kissed her back. Why did he do that?  
He probably would've stayed like that for the rest of the day if Simmons laughter hadn't shook him out of his stupor. He didn't think he could stand being made fun of right then, even if he deserved it. His mind went into defense mode. _Deny, deny, deny_. "What are you talking about? I didn't kiss you. Don't be daft."  
"Don't you dare lie to me, Leopold James Fitz! You kissed me back and you know it!"  
"... Okay, fine I kissed you back, but why did you kiss me in the first place?" Simmons's hands went back to picking at her clothes. "Well, um... I thought you were Mason and I-"  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a cotton picking minute here. You were trying to kiss Mason?" Fitz felt his heart metaphorically drop into his stomach. Of course she would go for the top marks, hero man. Cadet Mason was tall, dark, handsome, and everything else Simmons liked except maybe not as intelligent as she usually preferred. "No, Fitz. I wasn't trying to kiss anyone-"  
"Really? Because your attack method seems to resemble it quite a bit." He snapped. Why was he so upset about this?  
"Oh, Fitz will you let me finish! I didn't want to lose the bet. You know how competitive I can be. So when I heard Tierney yell at Mason for killing him I thought he was coming my way and so I panicked, and thought if I did something to shock him, I could just shoot him before he realized what had happened. Kissing was just the first thing that came to mind, and it did technically work... just not on the right person. I have no interest in Mason if that's what you think." She finished.  
"...You're not interested in Mason?"  
"No. He's too serious, he never jokes around, and he doesn't watch Doctor Who which is kind of a deal breaker for me."  
"And you only kissed me to win the bet."  
She nodded.  
"Oh, okay good. Glad that's all cleared up." Fitz sighed in relief (and slightly in disappointment).  
"Jemma crossed her arms. "Oh, we're not all cleared up yet."  
"He looked at her confused. "We're not?"  
"She shook her head. "What exactly did you mean 'out of practice'?"  
"He gulped. "Oh, that. Well, you see I was just teasing. You're not out of practice. Far from it actually, you really know how to um... I mean- You're good. It was good. Very good. I'd even do it again! No! I-I didn't mean it like that just- Oh please just shoot me now and put me out of my misery." Fitz buried his face in his hands while Simmons tried to stifle her giggles. Oh, Fitz." She smiled. "How about I make us some tea and you put something on the telly?"  
He exhaled loudly. "That'd be great. Thanks"  
They spent the rest of the evening chatting about their current projects, and the Harry Potter movie Fitz had put on. Happily putting the whole kissing debacle behind them.

* * *

Epilogue.

"Ha! Stupid geniuses!" Agent Ripley sat in his office with tears of laughter streaming down his face, as he rewound the tape of his lesson for the fifteenth time. It may have been a little mean to torment the poor, british, scientist like that, but he just couldn't help it. Unique tactics like hers don't come along very often. He took another handful of popcorn as he watched Fitz near the corner just to end up in a liplock situation with Simmons. He guffawed loudly at the sight of the clueless kids on his screen. "These two idiots are made for each other. I give it a year."

The End.


End file.
